Bert's Alerts - November 1, 2013
Weekly Spotlight
The College of Western Idaho (CWI) Library embraced the spirit of Halloween this year as its space was transformed into a study break Wonderland on Thursday, Oct. 31. Staying true to the Alice in Wonderland theme, the CWI Library staff enjoyed a tea party group photo to show off their impressive costumes. Seen here (from left to right) is Kimberly Stephen, Danielle Persinger, Jessica Genther, Joan Smith, Kim Leeder, Jodee Joiner, and Sarah North.
News Highlights
Patriot Range Showcasing 200 American Flags Coming to Nampa
CWI Patriot Range 2013
Next week a group of College of Western Idaho (CWI) students will be transforming the College’s Nampa Campus into a patriotic display to honor and pay tribute to Veterans, active duty Military, and their families. On Wednesday (Nov. 6) the CWI Veterans Association and Student Enrichment will collaborate to cover the west lawn of the Nampa Campus with 200 American flags. The Eagle Field of Honor has generously donated the flags for use by the Veterans Association and will help construct the display.
The Patriot Range will offer an incredible visual display of flags that are three by five feet in dimension and stand on eight foot poles, and are precisely constructed to ensure equal distance between each flag and row. The Patriot Range will be lit at night and stand until Nov. 13. The public is invited and encouraged to visit this powerful tribute.
“College of Western Idaho has over 600 veteran students and hundreds of dependents of veterans on campus and taking courses,” says Veterans Association Vice President, Dick Limbaugh. “The Association believes the Patriot Range will be a powerful visual tribute of honor and thanks for the sacrifices that both the Veterans and their families have made and continue to make while serving this great Nation.”
“The Eagle Field of Honor committee is dedicated to helping as many Veterans as possible,” says Eagle Field of Honor Project Chair, Kathy Coburn. “The CWI Veteran’s Association Patriot Range allows us to reach hundreds of Veteran’s through this great partnership. It is an honor and a privilege to pay tribute to our Veterans and this is another great opportunity to do that.”
The Patriot Range will kick off a collection of military tribute activities at CWI in honor of Veterans Day. On Monday, Nov. 11, Student Enrichment will host ceremonies at CWI’s Ada County Center and Nampa Campus, which will feature a flag ceremony, choir, and guest speaker.
Free Application Week, Nov. 11-15
Next week, College of Western Idaho (CWI) will begin promoting its free application week that runs Nov. 11-15. The College ran a similar campaign tied to application awareness last year resulting in more than one thousand students taking advantage of the opportunity to apply without a fee. Information promoting the offering will be sent out through a variety of media outlets and everyone at CWI is encouraged to help spread the word to people they know considering college.
In addition to the free application week, the CWI Student Services team will host an Admissions Express event on Nov. 12 from 4:00-7:30 p.m. Attendees can meet with advisors, explore programs, discover CWI resources, and experience student life.
More details on the event and free application can be found at www.CollegeofWhatIf.com.
Campus Forum Monday at Ada County Center
College of Western Idaho (CWI) will host its next employee Campus Forum on Monday, Nov. 4, from 3:30-4:30 p.m. in Room 1203 of the Ada County Center. All employees are encouraged to attend one of the fall Forums. CWI’s President's Cabinet would like to thank the employees who attended the session held at the Nampa Campus Multipurpose Building last week.
Spring 2014 Class Schedule Available
The College of Western Idaho (CWI) Spring 2014 class schedule is available to view online. Employees are asked to help share this information as students prepare for the Spring semester. The most up-to-date information on class offerings can be found on myCWI. Students who log on to myCWI may search for sections or add sections to their "Preferred Sections" list. Students must register for the sections they've added to the Preferred Sections list once registration begins on Nov. 11. A PDF of the Spring 2014 class schedule is also available on cwi.edu. This copy is updated every Friday.
CWI Photo Access for Employees
This past summer, the College of Western Idaho (CWI) Communications and Marketing department unveiled a new digital asset management system it acquired for archiving all of the College's photos. The software features the capability to publish an online photo gallery for CWI employees to access from the College network.
To assist in navigating and accessing the photo gallery, details of the process are now available on myCWI in the Links section of the Communications and Marketing Resources page. Login information and instructions on searching, viewing, and downloading images that can be used in CWI publications and communications are included.
Please email questions regarding the new gallery to communications@cwi.edu. For more information on photo usage at the College, refer to page 18 of the CWI Brand Style Guidelines.
Early Childhood Education Open House
The College of Western Idaho (CWI) Early Childhood Education program would like to invite employees and students of the College to attend an Open House on Tuesday, Nov. 5, from 2-4 p.m. The Open House will provide an opportunity to visit the program’s new location and preschool lab in the Nampa Campus Multipurpose Building, as well as meet faculty. Snacks will be provided.
CWI Horticulture Poinsettia Sale
The College of Western Idaho (CWI) Horticulture Club is selling locally grown poinsettias for the 2013 holiday season. This is a great opportunity to support the Horticulture students, while purchasing beautiful plants that will be ready for delivery on Dec. 2. Funds raised will help send students to the PLANET Annual Student Career Days. This event provides a great opportunity for students to attend professional industry seminars and compete for scholarships.
Orders are being accepted through Nov. 15. Download the order form and view pricing below. For more information contact Horticulture Club Advisor, William Habblett, at williamhabblett@cwi.edu.
Physical Therapist Assistant Program Q&A
The new CWI Physical Therapist Assistant program, which will be offered through a consortium with College of Southern Idaho (CSI), North Idaho College (NIC), and Lewis-Clark State College (LCSC), will be hosting a question and answer session for potential students next week.
The meeting is scheduled for:
November 7
6:30 p.m.
Canyon County Center RM184
The meeting will be conducted in the same manner that the program lecture courses will be held - through inter-video conferencing (IVC). Rand Edwards, program director from NIC, will be conducting the meeting through IVC to direct questions concerning program candidacy/accreditation, application materials, and more. Attendance is not required for new students. The meeting is open to the public.
CWI Fire Drill Results Available
College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Fall semester fire drills have been completed. These fire drills/evacuations are intended to prepare CWI students, faculty, and staff for an organized evacuation in case of a fire or other emergency requiring evacuation.
Each campus evacuated quickly and efficiently utilizing the evacuation routes specific to their area. The Floor Captains did an outstanding job of clearing their assigned areas and reporting to the centralized location in a calm professional manner. Several questions were posed to Victor Villanueva, CWI’s Safety Coordinator, both during and after the fire drills. Most of the answers to those questions can be found in the CWI Emergency Handbook under the section: Safety and Emergency Precautions for Persons with Disabilities/Building Evacuation.
You can view results for each CWI location and a sampling of the questions asked on myCWI, located under Risk Management, Faculty Staff Resources.
Special Guest Presents to CWI Business Law Class
Joe Welker’s business law class welcomed a guest speaker on Wednesday, Oct. 30, to talk with students about health insurance and how it relates to individuals and businesses in Idaho. Shad Priest, Director of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs for Regence Blue Shield of Idaho, gave an informative presentation on the Affordable Care Act and its potential impact in the Gem State.
“Providing a lecture by one of Idaho's utmost experts on the Affordable Care Act is a tremendous opportunity for our students,” Welker says. “The timing and value of this lecture was invaluable. I would like to extend a personal thank you to Mr. Priest for taking the time to share his expertise with our students.”
Steely is Faculty of Distinction for November
Kelly Steely has been announced as the College of Western Idaho (CWI) Faculty of Distinction recipient for November. Steely is the current program chair and instructor for the CWI Culinary Arts program. Besides being a dedicated and devoted program chair, she also teaches a full credit load during the semester and promotes the department through participation in culinary events.
Congratulations Kelly and thank you for all your hard work and dedication.